Day 20: May 29: Heimaey

Today,  we took a ferry to Heimaey,  part of the Vestmannaeyja archipelago.  Along the way to the ferry Harbour,  we stopped at....  falls and climbed behind the falls reach.

We left the main land,  or the island as the Vestmannaeyjaers refer to Iceland,  around 0900. The ferry station smelled ripely of fish and stagnation. On Heimaey,  we took two hikes and visited a museum.

The first hike included treks up treacherous ladders and rock faces. At the end,  there was a clear view of the island and surrounding  cliff islands,  some of which were occupied by individual houses.  Before departing for our second hike,  we took a break for ice cream and bathroom stops.

Phoebe, modeling ice cream 

 The second hike was across town and took us up a newly formed crater? .  It was created by the eruption in 1973. The trek up to the hike included traversing through a beautiful field of purple flowers. On top,  we discovered vents, in which suresh warmed his nearly 2 litre bag of French fries.

The museum was directly bellow the second hike. It commemorated the 1973 eruption and detailed it's events and subsequent island recovery. Islanders successful attempts to slow the lavas progression with cool water was the first example of such human intervention in an eruption in recorded history.

We had dinner on the island at Gott....which turned out to be well worth missing out on this adorable puffin's Chinese food...

Day 19 May 28: Vagnasstadir To Skogar

Today,  we left our hostel in Vagnasstadir and headed towards Skógar

Along the way,  we stopped at a beach of black sands and climbed a columnar basalt formation.

After lunch at our hostel in Skógar ,  we hiked up 547 steps to a large waterfall,  Skógafoss,  and continued on down the trail...

After our hike,  we had a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 7: 16 May: Langjokull Glacier

May 16 Monday
Today,  I drank chocolate milk on a Glacier whilst riding in a NATO truck,  previously mounted with a missile launcher.

Langjokull Glacier

Today,  we visited a Glacier. We road in former NATO trucks. We traverses ice and streams with ease.

During our visit on the glacier,  we entered an ice cave with our guide.  Clad in crampons and our warmest layers,  we explored the deep blue and milky white caverns...allthewhile listening to the drip of the glacier melting.

After the glacier,  we went to Hraunfossar Barnafoss waterfalls

Hot Springs
Earlier in the day,  we visited Deildartunguhvev thermal spring; it has the largest output in the world.
At the spring,  there was a lovable black and white sheepdog that appeared to be more closely related to dog than sheep.

We then went to Reykholt and Snori's bathing pool.

We got back very late and had a dinner at midnight.

Day 10: 19 MAY : Latrabajarg Puffins

PUFFINS AT LÁTRABJARG

Today,  we visited Látrabjarg and observed birds.  We saw puffins (Fractecula artica) and Razor-billed Auk (Alca torda),  among other birds. We saw a pair of puffins billing.

unidentified hatched egg 

cliffs at Látrabjarg 

puffin

puffin 

We had dinner at Heimsendi restaurant in Kópavogur. The fish and lamb were locally caught and raised respectively.

 Along our travels today,  we saw US Naval plane. 

We stopped at Hnjotur folk museum.

Day 15: May 24: Solheimar tour

We toured the Ecovillage today. We happened upon their visitors center and met a guide Axle.  He was quite snarky and referrenced doughnuts,  shotguns,  and Walmart frequently.  We visited their woodworking shop, candle marking station, and gym.
In the gym we discovered the plausible Icelandic inspiration for Forrest Gump,  Reynir Pétur Ingvarsson. He was evidently  responsible for demonstrating that disabled people are capable beings. He ran 1417km,  circumnavigating Iceland in 1985. He began his trek on May 25. He now lives in Sólheimar.

Reynir 

Greenhouses 

Church 

After the gym  we found their greenhouses then explored their church.

Day 16: May 25: Solheimar to Vagnasstiðir

Today,  we left Sólheimar  eco village and headed south.  We drove most of the day.  We stopped in a town 2 hours from our hostel for lunch and visited a chain wool clothing store. At the visitors center next to the restaurant,  a small,  playful black and white retriever/ shepherd  puppy greeted us.
 It has been rainy and warm today.  The vegetation and landscape has changed drastically along the drive, the milder weather mostlikely playing a part in the vegetation.
After dinner,  Nate and I traversed through  the meandering stream towards the ocean. Unnoticed,  we came across small water fowl preening themselves in the stream, nearly hidden by orange-red reeds.
To forge the stream,  we crossed  a rickety,  rotten bridge and remained unsure of its fidelity.   After an hours trek,  we stumbled upon a black,  rocky shore. During our exploration,  we found two skeletons.  One of a seabird,  another of a gnathostome fish.
Upon turning around,  we discovered the landscape before us had been obscured by passing fog and clouds,  creating an abyss 270° around us.  All that remain visible were the crashing waves; an entire mountain range had disappeared.

Day 12: 21 May 2016 Bildudalur

Bíldudalur,  Iceland.  Vestfirðir (Western fjords) 

Today,  we had eggs for breakfast... As opposed  to bread,  bread,  bread, butter,  jam,  and cheese.  It was pretty nice.

After breakfast,  we split into two groups.  A cohort of us went with Ranson behind the hostel in search of a good hike.  Another group departed with Suresh to spot a whale or two along the coast.  

In search of the trail,  we stumbled across a hut in which there was a generator powered by a stream flowing through.

With the help of information signs and directions from a local,  we headed in the right direction up the road. The hike was more taxing than expected. We traversed mounds of lose,  broken rock covered by lichen and moss. The view from the top graced the steep cliffs formed by the glacier as well as a meandering stream.  

During the hike,  we had two moments of silence. On top of the mountain,  I found a nice mossy spot to rest and nearly fell asleep. The silence reminded me of my three months in New Mexico.  It made me nostalgic and reminded how quiet it could be there,  in Hermosa,  even though we sometimes were at 20 people capacity. At times,  I find myself missing the group awareness and greater understanding/ appreciation for ecology/animals found in that cohort.  

On the way back, I found the 8 th Icelandic cat.  Unfortunately,  we did not get to visit the sea monster museum.  

Day 4: 13 MAY 2016 power plant draft

HELLISHEIÐI POWER PLANT
we met our driver for the rest of the trip, þor (Thor) brother of Axle.
He drove us to the hellisheiði geothermal power plant.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND
Apparently,  the majority of witches in Iceland we men; witchcraft was more of an intellectual pursuit.
Burger joint
We went to a buyer joint for lunch that was very America esque.

HALLGRÍMSKIRKJA
Church designed to resemble columnar basalt.

Scandinavian
Swans
Ramstein
Church

Day 3: Keflavik, ICELAND 12 May 2016- Culture Shock

Nothing like a little ... Or a lot of culture shock to start the trip off...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We finally arrived in Iceland at 7am local time or 3am Greenville, SC time.  We met our driver for the day and our host at the air port, Axle and Dr. Thourliefur Fredriksson respectively. Outside the airport it was gloomy and misty, but pleasant.

BREAKFAST AND SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN
 We had breakfast at Thorliefur's house. Our meal consisted of lingonberry jam, farmers cheese, rye crisps, various deli meats, and coffee. His house was deserving of title page of IKEA or any other typical Scandi-minimalist design; everything had its place. The rooms were graced with an abundance of industrialesque lamps and large windows, giving the sensation of being outdoors.

CULTURE SHOCK
From Thorliefur's house, we walked to the neighborhood geothermal heated pools. There, in the showers, we experienced our first bout of culture shock...

HOSTEL,  SWEET HOSTEL
After the pools,  we headed to our hostel in Reykjavik. It was pretty posh and modern,  like most things on Iceland.  The rooms resembled a microcosm of a camp dorm,  with bunks and sleeping bags screwn about.  I roomed with Whitney, Emily, and Kristina. Our room overlooked the back courtyard.

ICELAND GOES ITALIAN
After a period of rest,  we stumbled out to a nearby Italian restaurant. Suresh, Ranson,  Whitney,  Amanda,  and I shared a feast of Pizza,  Sea food pasta,  and Gnoci.  I never thought I'd have the best Italian food of my life yet in Iceland.

ALBUQUERQUE, ICELAND
the landscapes and vegetation are strikingly similar to those I encountered over the course of the Wildsemester in New Mexico and Arizona.

LATE NIGHT BIKE REPAIR
after staying up until 1am working on my daily report with my group,  I enjoyed the sweet sounds of Iceland... Rather,  the sweet sounds of cardboard ripping open and metal clanging to the ground as a hostel dweller attempted to construct his Trek

Day 2: In Transit 11 May 2016

With an hour of sleep and stomach full of greasy poor decisions from Waffle House, I joined our cohort in the van around 3am and departed for GSP. Several hours later, we arrived in New York JFK anticipating an exhilarating 11hr lay over.

Day 1: Greenville 10 May 2016

One last waffle...
We gathered today in Plyler in preparation for our departure to Iceland tomorrow and a day of flights and lay overs. After a nutritious meal of pub subs and fried chicken, Lettie and I enjoyed one last Carolina sunset over the Furman track and bid a friend farewell. The rest of the Iceland crew watched the Martian, a fitting film since many scenes were filmed in Iceland. Instead of enjoying the movie, I assisted in the safe retrieval of Hagan from the airport and took an ill advised midnight trip to Waffle House.